The Goose That Laid Golden Eggs

Aesop's fables, although written thousands of years ago are still very relevant today as it teaches lessons and morals that are perhaps more important in today's world. This story about the goose that laid golden eggs is no exception. In a world filled with greed and impatience, it throws some light on the dire consequences of these vices.

There was a man who was a farmer. He had a goose that turned out to be special. Every day when he went to its hutch, the goose had laid an egg that was made of solid gold. He took the egg to the market and sold it for a handsome price. Within a short period, he became wealthy by selling the golden eggs. After a while, he grew impatient as he thought he was not getting rich quick enough because the goose only laid one egg a day. He began to wonder how much gold the goose must have inside it and thought of how he could make the most of this special goose. He decided to cut the goose open so he could get to the source of the eggs and get all of it at once. When he cut open the goose, he realised it was just an ordinary goose on the inside, but he had killed his precious goose.

This story warns of the danger of greed. If the man had not killed the goose, he would have had a steady and sure source of income and could have lived comfortably. It also warns of the danger of seeking shortcuts or quick ways to wealth, destroying long-term prospects in the process. There should be a cap on our desires as the French writer Jean de La Fontaine warned "Greed loses all by striving to gain all".